Dear Melco Crown Entertainment Limited (MPEL) Re: Email Fail

I've been trying to email my PR contacts there for a few days now and everything bounces back 'undeliverable.' I've tried three different people using two different domain names - did they all quit or has your email server bit the big one?

First, I tried the @melco-pbl.com address... that bounced (somewhat understandably, you did change the name of the company.) Second I tried @melco-crown.com, those bounced too, with a curious message generated by a mail server which identifies itself as "mpel.com" - a domain which is actually up for auction.

So what's the deal? Is there something I'm missing here? Sending email is one of my strong suits.

Can you please have Susanna or Maria or Alexis email me (they should have my address) or use the contact form?

Comments & Discussion:

No jewel in Crown
It might be time for James Packer's Crown to write down the full value of its investment in the US casino operator Station Casino Group. The private equity-owned company, weighed down by debt, has proposed to file for bankruptcy this week.

Station Casino owns and part-owns 18 "locals" casinos in and around Las Vegas. It has been badly hit by falling revenues, triggered by plummeting home prices and recession-driven job losses in Nevada.

The company expects to breach its debt covenants and is seeking approval from noteholders for a "reorganisation under chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code".

The buyout firm Colony Capital and the Fertitta family bought the company in February 2007 for $US5.4 billion, including $US3.3 billion in debt. Five months later, Crown paid $242 million for a 4.9 per cent stake, saying it was "confident" Station would "generate solid returns over the long term and have the potential to lead to further strategic opportunities".

But in August, acknowledging the falling value of its investment, Crown booked a $258 million write-down, which included a smaller stake in Harrah's Entertainment. It is unclear at how much Station is still valued in its books.